ÈȵãºÚÁÏ

NANAIMO — Shovels are in the ground for a new BC Cancer centre in Nanaimo, officially marking the start of construction.

Located on the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital site, the new centre is expected to open in 2028 and will offer cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, all in one location.

The estimated cost of the project is $311 million, shared between the province, through Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District and the BC Cancer Foundation.

The new multi-storey centre will include:

• 16 treatment bays and two treatment rooms for systemic therapy administration and consultations with care teams;
• advanced imaging tools, including CT and PET/CT scanners;
• an oncology ambulatory care unit with 12 exam rooms, four consult rooms and space for medical physicists and radiation therapists;
• four linear accelerator vaults used to deliver radiation treatment;
• more parking, including a parkade and surface lot; and
• a new oncology pharmacy.

Once open to patients, it is expected to host 11,000 patient radiation consults and followup appointments annually. In its opening year, the centre is also expected to provide approximately 20,000 treatments for as many as 1,600 patients, the release adds.

The new facility will be operated by BC Cancer in partnership with Island Health.